Carlo Ancelotti’s Premier League giants Everton have Roma running scared with Lorenzo Pellegrini’s Serie A future uncertain.
Roma boss Paulo Fonseca is confident that Lorenzo Pellegrini will become the club’s new captain if he shuns interest from Everton to stay at the Stadio Olimpico, speaking to Sky Italia.
For any Roma player, being tipped for stardom by Francesco Totti is like being hailed by God himself.
And, in Pellegrini, the Giallorossi have a ‘phenomenal’ talent on their hands, a midfielder with the ability and personality to wear the iconic armband around his bicep. At least, that is the view of one of the game’s true ‘one club men’.
With a £26 million release clause in his contract, Everton have been tipped to raid Roma for the Italy international this summer. Just to add to the growing fear enveloping the Olimpico, Corriere dello Sport claims that The Toffees would be free to hand over just £13 million up front and delay the rest of the payment for a further two years.
Roma boss Fonseca is understandably desperate for Pellegrini to stay. And maybe the chance to follow in the esteemed footsteps of Totti and Daniele de Rossi could convince the 23-year-old to ignore the allure of Carlo Ancelotti.
“Lorenzo has the strong character to be able to become captain. Honestly, I really think so,” Fonseca told Sky.
“He has all the qualities to become captain in the future, I agree with Totti.”
With 11 assists in all competitions this season, Pellegrini is in Europe’s top ten for ‘creative passes’. Tellingly, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Everton’s go-to playmaker right now, is nowhere to be seen on that particular list.
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